Cucina Ni Bunso : Rushing Towards Classic Filipino Dishes with a Twist

Wazzup Pilipinas!

You know that you are extremely busy when you keep on missing your appointments one after another because you fail to add them to your calendar of activities. Why? Because it's all filled up with so many invites to events, meetings, exhibits, launches, etc, that they couldn't find a place in my calendar anymore.

When you see your ice cream has turned into a milkshake, you have to worry already because you are missing out on delicious food. Who doesn't like ice cream here? I am surprised at myself I didn't finish up my sweet dessert and to sadly witness it melted already.

What I normally do is I type in codes or abbreviations of my appointments but sometimes I miss its meanings when I'm deep in a multitude of tasks.

But when I received an SMS or text message reminding me of a food review that very same day, I had to drop what I was doing because I wouldn't want to miss out on dining at this new restaurant called Cucina Ni Bunso. However, I will be extremely late because I received the text message 15 minutes after the supposed start time. Whoah!

Well, the organizer assured me I can catch up if I hail a taxi cab immediately for Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Where was I coming from? Pasig! Did I make it? Of course I won't be writing this article if I missed it! Unfortunately, latecomers are rewarded with left-overs from the starters and main dishes....hehehe. Luckily, I made it in time for the dessert.

No worries though, I've had the opportunity to taste or sample the chef's cooking already during a certain event held at one of the offices of a certain online gaming company in Makati. Cucina Ni Bunso was the caterer of the event and the chef himself was there to "entertain" the guests.

.....and why did I say "entertain" as if he's going to sing or dance for us, well not necessarily, because I thought he might act for us. That is because the chef was no other than former child actor Mel Martinez. Mel is know to be Maricel Soriano's half-brother, and he is probably the youngest among the siblings which gives the reason why his restaurant is called Cucina Ni Bunso or translated in English as "The Kitchen of the Youngest Sibling". He has done a lot of directing for TV commercials....and is often cast as a best friend or companion of the lead star in movies and teledramas. He often portrays a role that injects humor into the stories to add some touches of comedy in the scenes. Bit players often spice up the scenes along side the lead stars to make the story more interesting and convincing.

By the way, he is partnered with another guy whose name I couldn't recall anymore. That's the disadvantage when you're partnered with the more famous personalities, you get to be at the background even if his role was to run the operations of the restaurant and Mel Martinez was the master of the kitchen. But I acknowledge him as the man who is mainly responsible for the ambiance of the restaurant. I'll update this article as soon as I get his name.

The restaurant is simply decorated with lots of fancy plates of all shapes and sizes that were fixed on the walls and some on shelves. There are even mugs, tea pots and tea cups, perhaps they were targeting porcelain wares to design the place. Its a collection that's a feast to the eyes. They could become conversational pieces as you will be definitely attracted to look at each and every design.

There's also a a few tables  and chairs outside for those who may prefer to dine out in the open air or hang out and smoke along the street. White picket fence separates the tables from the street.

What comes to mind is the white picket fence syndrome which is a state of mind where a person blindly holds on to the idea of their perfect lifestyle, regardless of the inevitable life factors that make it impossible for it to be true. Another meaning further adds that it is a mental state in which a change becomes a fixation; a need to better one's lifestyle; similar to a dream-like state; everything becomes "clear" to the patient.

Well perhaps the goal of everyone out there is to make the best of their life and have a cool and lavish, if not perfect, lifestyle. Why not?! It makes us hopeful for a better future.

 

 

Everything on my plate was a guaranteed delight in taste. Well, it was not much and you might think it was not enough to evaluate and give a justifiable food review because I might have missed on the best part/ingredients of the dishes....but I've been tasting Filipino dishes since I was born (yeah!) so I could very well conclude that Cucina Ni Bunso really did add a twist to the classic Filipino taste. Try their sauce with the sesame seeds and you'll instantly swoon in delight.

Actually, they were all good even without any sauce. But put good and good together then that spells "uber good". But calling their food good is really an understatement. Might as well just say out loud that the dishes were indeed "Masarap!".

Below are the dishes served during the food review courtesy of a fellow blogger. I don't have my own pictures so they were borrowed specifically for my viewing pleasure so I could imagine what I missed. Envious of the group they were able to dig in and "devirginize" or be among the first ones to sample these delectable dishes! I had to settle for what they intentionally left for me. Huhuhu! (sobbing)

Though I only got to sample some left-overs, I am convinced the dishes were uber scrumptious indeed as what their Facebook page says "Cucina Ni Bunso serves scrumptious Filipino cuisine, in a way it has never been served before. We pride ourselves in turning old-time Filipino flavors to modern favorites. We offer food that will not just satisfy your appetite but will also feed the soul. We don’t just have rice-consuming ulam (viand), but we give new and exciting twists to those classic flavors we Filipinos have enjoyed throughout the years. Cucina ni Bunso is also a place for creating new memories with family and friends, one dish after another. So eat to your heart’s content and welcome to the family!"

A fellow bloggers took the photos taken from the food review while I was still rushing onboard a taxi desperately trying to go through the busy streets of  Metro Manila. I should have taken the MRT train instead. It could have been faster than the grueling traffic jam infested streets of the city.



You can check more of the photos here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.420783668037175.1073741900.273998629382347&type=3

But everything was not at a loss that day because I got to try out their sumptuous desserts....and believe me when I say it was all worth the stress of rushing towards Tomas Morato all the way from Pasig. It's even worth the money I had to pay to the taxi cab driver whom I had to persuade to speed up so I could catch up before 2:30 pm. Hah! The invite says 12:30 pm and I arrived at Cucina Ni Bunso around 2:00 pm. That's an hour and a half late. I was lucky there was still something for me.

So you've guessed it right! I was the last one to come in so I would undoubtedly become the last one to leave. But I stayed longer because I couldn't stop myself from savoring the delish desserts.

 

Be sure to visit Cucina Ni Bunso at 117 Scout Lozano Street, Tomas Morato Quezon City near Figaro and Alba. Their dishes are definitely worth rushing for. Again, I would drop everything I'm doing right now if I get another SMS or text from Cucina Ni Bunso.....and maybe that time I won't be late anymore to treat myself to the entire dish (no more left-overs for me) from master chef Mel Martinez.

My bloggers friends are happy and so is cute and adorable Kendrick...who's jumping up and down with glee!

Jump Kendrick, jump!!!

Two thumbs up for Cucina Ni Bunso!



Learn more about Cucina Ni Bunso from their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CucinaNiBunso